Thin client performance in BSF schools

[PiqueABoo]

I want to see some real numbers: Comms isn't free and as a general rule when you're putting all your eggs in them, the kind of baskets you want can get scarily expensive very, very quickly.

[cookie_monster]

@ cjohnsonuk

Using the "zero" type David mentioned earlier the OS runs locally so all your local devices will work as before, IWBs would be no issue. For all intents is a fat PC, its just the disk is remote and the files are stored on a server.

I assume the disk is a VHD held on the remote server if this is the case where do temp files live if you're editing video locally?

[broc]

Because that is a possible solution that a certain LEA may or may not be using for all schools in the County under BSF proposals...

Webmans assumption is absolutely spot on; At my school we may be on the receiving end of a solution that is based upon thin clients in the classroom for general use & 'legacy' fat clients for multimedia all connected to remote servers hosting VDI sessions and data storage.

Having worked with very large mainframe systems for 30 years I am very familiar with traditional 'enterprise' client server architecture, 2-tier and 3-tier so I know it works in an 'enterprise' but I have yet to come across this working in a school; that's not to say it cannot/does not work, but I want to see it in action & prove it works...... after all I may have to support it

[cjohnsonuk]

@ cjohnsonuk



I assume the disk is a VHD held on the remote server if this is the case where do temp files live if you're editing video locally?

Not quite a vhd in the vdi sense as its a shared image. You'd have to configure your video editing software accordingly.

Personally for video editing I'd use a fat PC.

If you had to use or wanted to use a thin client you could do worse than install 4GB+ of flash memory in the thin client for local temp storage. Then stream the video application to the local machine in the same way as the OS so that its all running locally then save just the completed footage to the server when complete. Then get the students to wipe the local flash disks or write a script to do so at the end of the project.

CJ

[cookie_monster]

Personally for video editing I'd use a fat PC.

That's where we are currently with thin clients for lighter loads. Just trying to get my head around the concepts for future planning

Cheers.

[Face-Man]

that's not to say it cannot/does not work, but I want to see it in action & prove it works......

This academy has a combination of thin/zero clients and apple Mac for high bandwidth applications.

Thomas Deacon Academy

They were fitted out three years ago during their current refresh will be replace fat clients on the whiteboards with thin ones.

I think the message I'm getting from our BSF process is that mixed economy is the way to go and it is all about working out which equipment is suited to which role. Which flys in the face of anytime anywhere learning but that due to the fact you have to compromise !!

[cookie_monster]

This academy has a combination of thin/zero clients and apple Mac for high bandwidth applications.

Thomas Deacon Academy

They were fitted out three years ago during their current refresh will be replace fat clients on the whiteboards with thin ones.

I think the message I'm getting from our BSF process is that mixed economy is the way to go and it is all about working out which equipment is suited to which role. Which flys in the face of anytime anywhere learning but that due to the fact you have to compromise !!

I think Novus did that or part of it, that's who supported our Citrix roll out initially.

http://www.novus-networks.co.uk/pdf/tda.pdf